Broken Pawns
by sick-atxxheart
Summary: They gave all they had, and were betrayed. With a want for revenge, they disappeared, only to emerge stronger than ever. What happens when the world turns its back on their Saviors, and they decide that maybe they're on the wrong side? Dark!Trio.
1. Chapter 1

**Broken Pawns  
Chapter One  
**_Warnings_**:** a bit of OOC-ness and manipulation  
_**by sick-atxxheart**_

_--_

The morbid smile on the old man's face told Harry something was wrong, very wrong. Normally, _normally_, Dumbledore only smiled gently, kindly, offering advice and assistance in any way he could. Now, his eyes had stopped twinkling, and his gentle manner had been long since gone. Harry had always known that Dumbledore was insanely powerful and at the same time a great genius, and every since he was young he had realized that the man had some sort of twisted plan; but he hadn't been prepared for what he was sure to come- betrayal. Something was wrong, very wrong, and Harry had no doubt that Dumbledore was the cause of it.

Hermione's hand tightened around his, and Harry could almost _feel_ Ron tense up next to him. He knew they felt it too, and they were just as scared as he was. Dumbledore had called him into his office for a so-called meeting, which in all essence really wasn't that unusual; they were the main players in the war Harry now called his life. Harry, Hermione, and Ron had long ago accepted the fact that they were nothing more than pawns, and resolved to instead do their best to undermine the chessmaster's scheme.

It looked, to them, like they had failed.

Dumbledore was speaking, his wand twirling idly in his hand, an almost menacing show that they knew was meant to intimidate them. With a start, Harry realized he had missed nearly half of Dumbledore's words.

"The price is one I'm willing to pay," he said, almost too calmly, as if the facts he were stating didn't faze him at all. "The deaths of you three for the lives of the rest of our world- I think it's really an easy choice, don't you?"

The logical manner in which Dumbledore seemed to be setting the scene before him infuriated Harry. How could he be so _conscise_, so _factual_, when the facts indeed did state that they were going to die, most likely soon? The man surely didn't have much of a heart, if he could so easily hand over the weapons he had spent the last seven years training. _How much of my life have I given to this man, only to have him manipulate me even further_, Harry thought angrily.

Harry heard Hermione's sharp intake of breath, and as he returned to listening to the conversation... or confrontation, now that he thought about it. As he listened, he also slowly, secretly began to worm his way into Ron and Hermione's minds.

Learning Occlumency and Llegimency had proved easy with Hermione's teaching and their compassion for his feelings and pain. Unlike Snape, Hermione and Ron had readily realized that Harry had way to much pain and suffering in his life for it to easily be shut away, and that the best course of action would be to not only teach him how to _close_ his mind, but also how to categorize his mind into compartments for better defense. He found it really worked- and what was more, the bond that had developed between the three of them was worth everything he had gone through in the learning process. Due to that bond, the trio were able to speak with one another through their minds. This skill had many times proved beneficial, and Harry couldn't be more grateful for it now.

As he listened to Dumbledore rattle on and on about how their deaths would surely be unfortunate and that he was sorry, but it was necessary, his impatience grew as did his anxiety. Dumbledore had long since been the one who controlled his life, and he wouldn't deny that he was tired of it; but breaking away from the powerful regime hadn't been an option, until now, it seemed.

Harry knew Hermione had felt their connection when her soft voice came over the link to both Harry and Ron. "_What are we going to do?"_

_"Take him by surprise?" _Ron suggested, even over the link his worry and fear coming across loud and clear. _"Look, he's not even looking at us- his back is completely turned. Sending a Stunner and maybe a nice little hex would give us time to get out of here."_

_"And then what?" _Harry asked, liking the plan but unsure what the outcome would be. _"Where would we go? Now we have an option to get away from Dumbledore, and I think we need to take it._"

"_Run, for now,_" Hermione's gentle voice interjected, agreeing with him. It was a voice of reason that Harry was happy to have. _"Get away from here, and from Dumbledore. It's obvious we are not on the same side anymore."_

The silent agreement steadied all their fears for the moment, and through the connection the unbreakable trio finished making their plans. The spells would fire at Harry's command, and they didn't have to wait long for it. Harry could feel a strange mixture of both excitement and fear coming from Hermione and Ron, and it had an almost delicious taste, he thought, as he felt it over their bond. He knew they were all just _waiting_ for their moment to escape, and get away from the man they had now come to consider as their own personal tyrant.

The perfect moment presented itself just a few seconds later, and Harry cried, "NOW!" aloud. Dumbledore spun around, wand at the ready, but it was too late.

"Stupefy!" Harry cried, pointing his wand at the old man, who dodged it only to be hit with Ron's second stunner a moment later. Hermione quickly tied the man up with magically binding ropes, and the three smirked at Dumbledore's shocked look. The Headmaster really hadn't been expecting a counter-attack, which truly had been foolish of him.

Harry, however, wasn't really surprised that they had been succesful. "Well, well, well, _Professor,_" he sneered, circling the old man with his wand still trained right at his heart. "I guess you regret leaving us with our wands, now don't you?"

Hermione laughed, and Ron grinned in response. Really, it had been a stupid move- to expect them not to try and fight back? Had he not known them for _years_ now? Were they not all Gryffindors, known for their courage, bravery, and determination?

"Now," Harry continued, "I think that we will- how shall I put this- _not_ be dying today. You guys up for it?" There was a humorous tone to his voice as he looked over to his two counterparts, and their amused nods affirmed his statement to Dumbledore. This was all an act, now- one they three were certainly enjoying.

"However," Hermione interjected, uncharacteristically wanting a piece of the fun, "you tried to kill us, and that really isn't very nice."

Ron snorted. "Understatement of the century!"

The three laughed, and Dumbledore looked on in amazement and for the first time, actual fear. How had his plan not worked? It was perfect. Get the three in his office, _logically_ explain to them why he was doing what he was doing, and then tie them up and hand them over. It was perfect. _Flawless._

Obviously not, he realized. Leaving them with their wands really had been a mistake. It was a flaw, he guessed- he often forgot that together, Harry, Hermione and Ron were the strongest team in history, if you discounted the four Founders of Hogwarts. Which he did, of course.

But now, Dumbledore knew, he was in trouble. Things had taken a drastic, terrible turn- and now he was the one tied up, helpless. He was faced against surely the strongest witch and two of the strongest wizards in the current known world, and he now knew leading them to their deaths only for his plan to be thwarted really wasn't a good idea. They had been smart enough to take his wand from his unwilling fingers, as he had known they would- and now he was powerless. Of course, he knew wandless magic, but the binding ropes were powerful and surpressed his magic.

Dumbledore couldn't supress a smirk coming over his face. "Miss Granger," he said slowly, cutting off what he sure was a tirade from Harry. After all, he hadn't really been listening.

She turned to look directly at him suspiciously, and he smiled. He knew it didn't fool her.

"I never thought," he said cooly, looking at her with a cold gleam in his blue, blue eyes, "that you, the smartest witch to perhaps ever grace our school, would fall so far to use Dark Magic to bind me." It was a trick, of course- just a clever diversion to give him one more second to think, to plan. Dumbledore knew it wouldn't be enough. How he loved to be the puppetmaker, to control those around him for a common goal- the _Greater Good_- but it looked as if this time, his pawns weren't following his orders. _What a shame._

He saw the shock in Harry and Ron's eyes, but Hermione was quick to defend herself. "Oh, yes, Professor," she said coldly. "My Dark Magic is really as dark as not telling Harry he's a Horcrux, when really it is the most crucial piece of information in this war."

Shocked, Dumbledore turned to Harry, who smirked at him. "It's true, Professor," he said, the hint of a sneer echoing through his words. "We figured it out all on our own, _without_ your help. Who's the smart one now?"

Dumbledore had no response for that except to say, "So... what now?" He felt very childish to be ignoring direct questions, but after all, he hadn't been a child in a _very_ long time.

Harry laughed, and Dumbledore shivered in spite of himself as he listened to the laugh that was almost cruel. Did he regret his choice? _Never_, he thought to himself.

"Now, old man," Harry said harshly, emerald meeting blue, "we take our leave."

"Goodbye! Have a nice life!" Ron said, laughing as he began to walk out. Hermione looked back and waved. Harry followed, not looking back except to say,

"Oh, and don't worry. We'll do something worthwhile with our lives, since we surely won't see you on pleasant terms again. But I promise you, you'll be sorry for this. Just you wait."

With that, the trio were gone out of Dumbledore's office, and all the old man could do was wait. He had lost his greatest weapons, and he had also lost the promise of the sparing of the lives of the Wizarding world.

It wasn't a great day, really.

--

_Please review! I think I want to continue this, as I have some ideas. Should I? Did they seem OOC? I know Dumbledore was, but I tried to keep the rest of them mostly in character. Please leave me a review, and I am going to continue this, so feel free to add me to Story Alert so you can get a notice about my next chapter. Thanks, ya'll, and happy reading ;]]_

_**Reviews are love!**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Broken Pawns  
Chapter Two  
**_Warnings_**:** none in this chapter  
_**by sick-atxxheart**_

**--**

Grimmauld Place was dark and dreary as usual when Harry, Hermione, and Ron arrived. No one was there, which in itself was unusual; with the war effort, normally someone was at the headquarters. They were all grateful, however, for the small blessing of the place to themselves. Figuring out where they would go next was imperative, and all of them guessed it wouldn't be easy.

Harry's mind in itself was reeling after his confrontation with Dumbledore. He had long ago figured out that Dumbledore was a master manipulator, and since then he had worked hard to undermine those plans slowly, secretly, and surely.

When Ron and Hermione had come to him after Sirius' death, they had been the most understanding Harry had ever seen them. They still didn't quite grasp the depth of gratitude that Harry extended to them due to their one simple act of kindness that had meant the world to him.

"_We'll always be here, Harry,"_ They had said. "_We know that so many people in your life have left you, or hated you, or hurt you_, _and we're sorry. But you're our friend, Harry, and we promise that we'll come through for you even until the end."_

Of course it had been Hermione who said most of that, with Ron standing next to her nodding his head and looking awkward. Harry appreciated it all the same, however, and from that moment on their bond had begun forming. Harry could feel it, and he knew that Ron and Hermione did also- the tug at their hearts when someone was hurting, the pull at their minds when something was wrong... all these things told Harry very clearly that what they had went beyond friendship. It was brotherhood (or sisterhood, in Hermione's case). Harry knew they were closer than he had ever imagined, and from that point on Ron and Hermione trusted Harry when he told them his suspicions and his ideas.

When he had first told them that Dumbledore was a manipulator who really was just forming warriors for the Greater Good, they had been shocked it was true but not really all that surprised. It really was just _too_ convenient that Harry had been presented with _just_ the right opportunities to face Voldemort so many times; it really was strange the way that as soon as Harry begun to get close to someone, they were just ripped away again. Harry- or Ron and Hermione, for that matter- didn't put it past the old man to kill people off for the simple reason of his plan staying on the path he wanted it to take. Harry had had original doubts about the reasoning behind Sirius' death, because they had been there and _seen_ it happen- Bellatrix Lestrange had battled Sirius, after all; but Hermione, with her logical brain, had pointed out that Dumbledore could have easily sent a spell throughout the mess that finished Sirius off.

Harry swore he hated that man.

The first time he had heard the words 'for the Greater Good', he had thought that something good would come of Dumbledore's _ingenious_ plan, something big, something that would change the Wizarding World for the better. As the years went on he came to hate that saying with all his heart, to the point that the tattoo on his arm read just that- "_I am not for the greater good"._

Harry had gotten it one particularly horrible summer at the Dursleys, during one of the few times they sent him to stay with Mrs. Figg. The old lady had become more and more decrepit, to the point where she didn't recognize when he was there and when he was gone; he simply took advantage of that fact and slipped out one evening and found a nearby tattoo parlor. He had converted some magical money into Muggle before he had come back to Privet Drive, for cases where he just _needed_ something the Dursleys wouldn't provide, and he was glad of it.

Gritting his teeth and bearing the pain of the sharp needle really wasn't all that hard, when Harry looked back and thought about it. It was almost relaxing- the buzz of the needle as it flew over his skin, the deep color flowing almost into his veins and leaving what was now a part of him. The words were in almost cursive letters, separated just slightly by the boldness of the words. Harry loved his tattoo- it had taken a year for him to show Hermione and Ron, though, mostly because he wasn't sure what they would say.

--

Harry had taken to using a glamour charm, back then, to cover his tattoo. He took the charm off only at night so he could run his fingers over the slightly raised letters that spelled out what he now believed to be his motto. It reminded him nightly of what he was fighting _for_- and more importantly, what he was fighting against.

It had been a late night in the Common Room when Harry finally decided to show his friends his tattoo. It was one of those nights where everyone else had already gone to bed, even the ones who normally stayed up frantically studying; Harry thought it was the perfect opportunity. They were all wrapped up in blankets in separate armchairs, just talking. Hermione was, of course, reading some book; Ron was slowly nodding off, and he kept jerking himself awake. Harry found it insanely amusing.

"Ron, Hermione?" Harry said slowly, looking up from his arm, which he quickly covered with a blanket. He had already taken the charm off.

Both of them looked up at him, Ron's eyes slightly bleary and Hermione's kind. Both were, as always, attentive; whenever Harry sounded so serious out of the blue, something was obviously up. "What's going on, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"I have something to show you." He motioned for them to come closer, and Harry couldn't help but laughing as Hermione waved her wand and their two armchairs sped closer to Harry's. Ron's reaction- he nearly fell out of the chair- was simply priceless.

"What is it, mate?" Ron had interrupted his thoughts, and Harry looked up again and grinned.

"You'll be surprised." He held out his arm both reluctantly and proudly, the wrist turned up so his tattoo was clearly visible.

There was no reaction as Ron and Hermione stared at the words, and Harry just kept smiling. He had been afraid of their reaction, but in all reality, it was his tattoo and he could have it if he wanted it. He was proud of it, even.

He was startled when he felt Hermione's fingers running over the words, just as he did every night. "It's beautiful, Harry," she whispered, raw emotion coming through her voice. Harry could see the gentle tears welling up in her eyes, and he smiled when he saw that she liked it, and she didn't think him stupid for getting it. He wasn't quite sure that _beautiful_ was the right word to describe it, because it wasn't- it really wasn't, because the meaning behind it was defiant and even hateful. But it really did mean something to Harry, and he was proud of it.

"When?" Ron had asked. He didn't seem to hate the words either.

"Almost a year ago," Harry replied quietly- this was the part he was almost ashamed of, because he hadn't told his friends sooner. "I was afraid of what you guys would think."

"Harry!" Hermione admonished, wiping away her tears with one hand. "I thought we told you that you can come to us with anything?"

Harry just smiled and leaned back, running his fingers over the words absentmindedly.

--

When Ron and Hermione had showed up two weeks later with matching tattoos, Harry had been shocked. Even more than shocked- he had been _stunned_, and what was more he was proud. He was proud of them for being strong enough and believing enough not only in him but also in themselves that they would so fully commit to the fact that they simply were _not_ the Greater Good. Harry had been especially surprised that Hermione had gotten one too, especially in a place so prominent- under her left wrist. It meant a lot to Harry, though, and after that their bond had grown even more steadily and surely.

Harry smiled absentmindedly as he rubbed his tattoo. He could hear Hermione fumbling around in the kitchen, no doubt for some tea, and in the distance he could hear Ron swear as he tripped over something. Harry headed towards the direction of Ron's noise to find the redhead sitting three armchairs together in a makeshift circle, near the fireplace. It was their usual spots- they almost always sat in that same circle, and Harry had grown to love it.

A few minutes later Hermione came in with three steaming cups of tea, and Harry and Ron each took one gratefully. There was no mistaking the anxiety that was present on Hermione's face, and Harry could see a small sense of fear on Ron's face too. He tried to ignore it, however, and instead spoke after taking a sip of his piping-hot tea.

"We need to make a plan."

Ron nodded, but Hermione added her two cents. "We need a plan, yes- but better yet, we need to make a decision."

Ron looked confused, which really wasn't that unusual, but Harry asked the question first anyway. "A decision?"

Hermione nodded an affirmative, and then cleared up her statement. "We have to decide not only where we want to go, but what part in the war we now want to play. It's been made quite obvious that you will no longer play the role of the Savior, and Ron and I won't be heroes for the Light either; so we have to decide if we want to quietly make a difference for the Light, or..."

The words went unspoken, but both Harry and Ron caught the meaning anyway. There were two obvious sides in this war, if they wanted to choose one- the Light and the Dark, and right now they weren't quite sure.

"I... I honestly don't know," Harry admitted softly, his green eyes sparkling with the flickering light of the fire. "I hate Dumbledore with all my heart, and I don't really know what the other members of the Order are doing right either."

"They aren't doing anything," Ron put in. "Even my mum and dad. They talk and talk, but nothing gets done except they try and protect everyone that needs protection. They say they're trying to find Death Eaters, but we certainly haven't been very successful. I'm really not sure what they expect us to do, when they don't really do much themselves."

Both Harry and Hermione nodded at the logic in this statement, and Harry couldn't help but laugh internally at what sense Ron had just made. It wasn't that often that Ron had such a complete thought like that- he was plenty smart, he just chose to listen and take action rather than make brash decisions. It wasn't always a bad thing, really.

"Is it that easy," Harry wondered aloud, his mind racing at the thought that they were even _considering_ changing sides, "Is it that easy to just pick up and suddenly start believing in something different than what we've always known?"

Everything was silent for a minute, before Hermione's soft confession startled both Harry and Ron. "I'm not sure I've always believed in this."

The truth in her simple statement shocked both the boys, and they couldn't help but think that maybe she was right. They had all grown up hearing that they needed to fight the Dark and defeat Voldemort, because he was the reason the world was being terrorized; and they had grown to believe that, as simply as telling a child that there's no monsters in the closet. But really, what did it all mean, when you broke it down and looked at everything so closely that it almost fell apart? Was there light and dark, or was it simply beliefs that seperated the people?

"Maybe you're right, Hermione," Harry said quietly, looking down at his hands. "I don't know if I've always believed it either. I was always told it was up to me and me alone, and I grew to live that like it was the law. But if we turn away... where do we go?"

Hermione's simple answer summed it all up. "The Grey or the Dark."

Harry nodded mutely and sighed, his hands slumping over the arms of the chair and his eyes closing in simple defeat. "I don't know."

"We couldn't make much of a difference in the Grey," Ron pointed out. Harry agreed with that statement- the Grey side of the war was simply those who were afraid, or didn't care who won. He found it hard to believe that someone simply could _not care_ who was victorious, but Harry found that he didn't really care either. It was all up for grabs now- and the important thing now, Harry guessed, was keeping all three of them safe and _alive._

"I'm completely ready to leave the Light," Hermione said firmly, shaking Ron and Harry out of their own thoughts. "I have no problem with it. My problem? Going directly to the Dark. If we wanted to make a difference, becoming Death Eaters is the only way to go- and I will _not_ do that. I can't do that, Harry. You have to understand that."

Her eyes were pleading, and Harry smiled gently at her. "Of course I understand, Hermione. I'm not a killer either- only for self defense, or life or death circumstances."

"So what do we do then?" Hermione asked, while Ron watched on in interest.

A gleam suddenly sparked in Harry's eyes, and he smiled with an almost excited twinge of emotion.

"What do we do?" He repeated, looking at his two best friends. "I say we make a truce with old Tom himself."

--

_A new chapter for you, and it's longer too! Yay! Thanks for all the reviews last chapter, I really appreciate all the support. Please review this chapter, and let me know what you think. I'm especially interested to hear what you think of the tattoos._

_I am also trying really hard to make the transition from Light to Dark seem… more natural than it would if they suddenly decided "Oh, the Dark Side has cookies, they sound more fun." (Joke.) Anyway. Please let me know if I succeeded!_

_Please leave me a lovely review! Those who do get a chocolate-covered marshmallow egg!_

_;]_


	3. Chapter 3

**Broken Pawns  
Chapter Three  
**_Warnings_**:** slight OOC-ness.  
**_by sick-atxxheart_**

--

Hermione knew every charm in the book, and Harry felt particularly... tingly as her wand waved quickly over him. Her mouth was muttering words Harry couldn't quite recognize, and with a slight turn of his head Harry saw Ron was just as amazed at Hermione's spell work as he was. When he thought about it, Harry figured that he really _shouldn't_ be surprised at the efficiency of Hermione's magical ability; but even after practically living with her for so many years, her brilliancy still astounded him.

It had, of course, been her idea to apply heavy protection spells to them before they even attempted to make a plan for their meeting with Voldemort. Ron and Hermione were both obviously extremely nervous; however, Harry was rather excited. For one, he would finally be getting away from Dumbledore's grasp; and two, he would have a chance to actually make a difference on the side he _wanted to._

Of course, he had to make sure that Voldemort didn't kill him first. That little fact alone was enough for Harry to consent to Hermione layering his body with the spells she deemed appropriate. He figured, after all, that she knew better than he did.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of a heavy book slamming open on the kitchen table of Grimmauld Place. When he looked up, Harry had to conceal a gasp when he saw the title of the book. Next to him, Ron was once again having a similar reaction.

"Oh, shut up," Hermione said indignantly, before either of them could get in a word; her wand was still waving, almost as if of its own accord, and her hand was flipping through pages of the book at near-lightning speed.

She continued her reprimand without looking up. "Like you two can honestly say you've never done anything illegal!"

Harry had to laugh at that and agree with her, despite his shock at what was printed in huge font across the book's cover.

The book was called _Deeper Secrets: Unraveling the Secrets of Protection by Dark Magic. _It's cover was adorned with rather gruesome depictions of ugly battles, which Harry immediately looked away from; in addition, the black roses crawling over the title letters seemed to almost give a warning. It was, in all reality, a rather intimidating-looking book.

Leave it to the Dark Arts to make even a damn book intimidating.

Hermione obviously caught Harry staring, and she shot him a look that obviously said _Leave it, or you'll be sorry_. Harry took the warning easily, but of course being Harry he couldn't resist commenting.

"Where did you get this book, Hermione?" He kept his voice light, but even with his non-confrontational tone Ron was shaking his head frantically. When Hermione shot him her own glare, he quickly stopped, looking down and sighing.

Harry sighed once again before Hermione could even begin. "Oh, never mind." It always seemed that although they three were closer than anything, the littlest things could always set them off. It was quite tiring, really.

Hermione sighed similarly before shaking her head. "Oh, it's all right, Harry. I know you must be curious. I'm not exactly proud of it, but-"

"Spit it out, Hermione!" Ron exclaimed, just as eager as Harry to hear the source of Hermione's Dark books.

"They were in the Grimmauld library!" She finally said, looking ashamed; her eyes were on the floor. The silence that followed was almost deafening, and Hermione glanced a look up at Harry. He looked slightly angry, but at the same time almost impressed.

"Well," Harry said after a moment, "you know I would have let you have them, Hermione."

She nodded briefly and waited for him to go on.

"I would have let you have them," Harry repeated, "So next time just ask... but still, it's pretty cool that all those books were so easy for us to get!"

Hermione nodded, smiling at him, before continuing to apply layer upon layer of spells. The grin on her face nearly made Harry and Ron laugh, before she sharply commanded them to stay still again. This time, they really did laugh.

--

Their plans were carefully laid, and Harry couldn't help but admit that these were easily the simplest plans they had ever made together. It didn't really make sense, after all, to make an elaborate plan to just _get in_ to Voldemort's own little fortress; Harry figured that part would be easy. If his guess was right, Voldemort would have set his wards to allow Harry access. After all, he couldn't pass up the opportunity that his greatest enemy would just walk in, could he?

It was rather ironic, and Harry loved it.

Harry wasn't exactly quite sure _where_ Voldemort's headquarters were; but he had a good guess, and he had learned from Dumbledore himself that relying on guesses sometimes got you very far. Using that knowledge, Harry thought that Voldemort was still hiding out at Malfoy Manor. After all, the accommodations were perfect- it had wards set up on it that had lasted for centuries; there were enough house-elves in the building to serve him and his minions; and, most of all, it was a convenient, easy location for Death Eater meetings. It all made sense, and Harry hoped to Merlin that he was right. After all, Harry wasn't extremely interested at waltzing in to the Malfoy family home, especially if he was wrong and shouldn't be there in the first place. They all knew that they would find no mercy at the hands of Lucius Malfoy, and maybe not even from Draco.

Harry preferred not to think about it.

The bigger plans were the ones that were made for actually ensuring that Voldemort didn't immediately torture and kill them. That was what the heavy protection spells were for, along with the addition of the invisibility cloak; while Harry doubted that their arrival would go unnoticed, every extra precaution was necessary.

Harry himself chose the time, and they left at seven o'clock in the evening that very day. It had taken Harry a while to decide if he wanted to arrive in the morning or the evening; what had finally made his decision for him was the hope that Voldemort would be more relaxed at night. It was a rather childish hope, Harry knew, and he had been grateful when Hermione and Ron had not disputed his logic; they all knew that regardless of the time of day they arrived, things most likely would not go well.

Still, the plans were made. When Hermione, Ron, and Harry all found themselves huddled under the Invisibility Cloak, ready to Apparate, the fear jumped in Harry's heart and he gulped painfully.

"Are you ready for this, guys?" He said, and at their nod of assent, they all Apparated away.

--

Thankfully, the Invisibility Cloak was still covering them when they arrived in the entrance hallway of the Manor; Harry was grateful that small fact, but he still had no doubt that their appearance had been noticed. Aside from the resonating _BANG_ that had issued with their arrival, all three of them had been positive that there were Anti-Intruder magics on the house that would alert the owner at any intrusion. Besides those, Harry wouldn't have been surprised if Voldemort would _know _if he was in the vicinity. That was one of the downfalls of having a bond with your arch enemy, Harry thought to himself wryly- it really wasn't that easy to sneak up on the person. It wouldn't be long before someone found them.

They were right, in fact. Almost immediately a masked Death Eater came scuttling into the hallway, looking both alarmed and rather stupid, even through his mask. An unspoken agreement led to Hermione quickly taking care of said Death Eater with a quickly muttered curse, that left him shuffling away, muttering something about "Nothing wrong, my Lord..."

Harry grinned underneath the Cloak, and all three began to slowly walk together in the direction of the sounds they heard from deeper inside the Manor. It was quite difficult for all of them to travel together under the Cloak, as Harry, Hermione, and Ron were all much taller now than they had been when they first started at Hogwarts. As a result, the small group had their backs bent over and their heads low, in order to allow the Cloak to cover their feet.

They had made it quite a long way down the large hallway when another figure came towards them. Hermione had just been about to similarly magic this Death Eater away from them, when Harry stopped her, raising his hand quickly. "Wait," he whispered slowly, looking at the tall man coming towards them. "It's-"

"It's Snape," Ron breathed, almost inaudibly. He was almost surprised to see their teacher here, in Malfoy Manor, wearing the Mask that symbolized everything they were working against...

He really shouldn't have been surprised, but he was.

Ron was brought out of his thoughts by Hermione's sharp, quiet gasp of "No!" Quickly looking up, he was just in time to see what had startled Hermione so much. Harry had slipped out from under the Cloak, revealing himself to Snape. The two still beneath the cloak were both hoping with all their hearts that Hermione's protective spells would work.

However, as it turned out they were unneeded as of yet. Snape's shocked look, even through the Mask, revealed that he had clearly recognized Harry, and was unsure of what to do.

Harry simply stared evenly at him, waiting calmly for the man to speak. Both Ron and Hermione admired his courage and bravery, but inwardly _cursed_ his hero complex. They really would have to talk to him about that, later of course.

It seemed to be ages later when the silence was finally broken by the Potions Master. His voice was both exasperated and shocked, and his words surprised all three teenagers. "What are you _doing_ here, Potter? Are you even more self-centered than I thought? You're going to get yourself killed!"

Hermione and Ron both waited, holding their breaths, for Harry to respond. They both loved their friend dearly, but even they couldn't deny that he had a tendency to be hot-headed and passionate about things going on around him. His response to Snape, they knew, would determine how the rest of their "visit" turned out.

The friends were amazed when Harry's answer was calm, cool, and collected; in fact, it was very unlike him.

"I'm here on purpose, Professor," Harry said, with almost a touch of respect laced through his voice. "I'm here to see Voldemort."

Once again silence reigned, until Snape took the bait once more and said something. "Are Granger and Weasley here with you?"

Hermione and Ron both looked at one another, fear in their eyes; how had he known? But Harry just slightly inclined his head and said, "Of course."

Snape heaved a deep breath, shaking his head slightly. "Of course they are. Of course… Potter, you do know how foolish this is, correct?"

Harry didn't respond to that, save for a small nod. Snape shook his head and immediately spun on his heel, his robes billowing out behind him. Harry followed, smiling slightly. He was amazing himself with how _polite_ he was being; it was quite strange for him, really. Nevertheless, his mind had told him as soon as he had seen Snape that talking to the man would be the best option here. And what was more, he had to be _kind_.

Harry hadn't been particularly pleased with the plan his mind had presented him with, but it looked as if it had paid off. He was being led to Voldemort himself, and all three of them were as of yet unharmed. It was the best he could hope for, Harry supposed.

Harry quickly looked backwards and nodded his head slightly. Immediately Hermione and Ron pulled off the Invisibility Cloak. Working together, they stuffed it into the small bag Hermione had on her back. Snape didn't notice, which Harry was very grateful for.

Harry stopped for a few steps, allowing Ron and Hermione to catch up with him. Not feeling the least bit embarrassed, Harry reached out to take their hands. They were ready to walk in to see Voldemort- they had their magic swirling around them; their wands were protected with special spells; and their minds were carefully guarded with newly-learned Occlumency.

They were ready to walk with the enemy.

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**My deepest apologies for not updating sooner. I hope this chapter is good- I'm sorry that the confrontation isn't in here, but this seemed like a good place to stop. I know it's kind of short, but it's an update, right? :)**

**Thanks for all your reviews. Please leave another review- oh, and what should Voldemort's reaction be? **


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